Floor-covering.



.PEDERSON,

FLOOR COVERING APPLICATION FILED AUG.24

.ima

Patented Nov. 2,1915.

W m f W WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 60-.WASHINGTON, D. C.

the salient features of the invention.

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PETTER C. N. PEDERSQN, OF SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN.

FLOOR-COVERING.

Application filed August 24, 1914. Serial No. 858,348. i

To all whom it may concern Be it lmown that I, Pn'r'rnn C. N. PEDER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Superior,in the county of Superior and State of WVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Floor-Covering, of which the follow: ing is a specification. r

This invention has reference to floor coverings, and is designed to provide a substantially permanent floor covering producing a smooth, unbroken surface particularly resistant to wear, especially as regards the varnish finish which may be applied, which varnish finish because of the character of the floor will long out last a similar varnish finish applied to a solid hard wood floor.

In accordance with'the present invention it is preferred to provide a base of cement which may be laid upon the ordinary rough floor and on this base there is provided a yieldable and more or less elastic covering composed of paper sheets in layers with the sheets of one layer extending crosswise of those of the other, the layers being cemented together and fastened to the edges" of the base, so as to be under tension, thus keeping the paper layers smooth. To the upper surface of the applied layers of paper there is secured a wear surface composed of thin wood veneer which may be laid in any desired ornamental design, this veneer being united to the paper layer preferably by Shel: lac, while the latter is rendered adhesive or tacky by heat, wherefore the veneer is not only firmly united with the paper against accidental separation therefrom, but the cementing material is moisture-proof. The

veneer surface may be finished with any suit able preparation of which there are many on the market for finishing hard wood floors,

'whereupon the floor will be found to be of greatly prolonged life both as to the varnish and the wood, over hard wood floors as ordinarily prepared,

The invention will be best understoodfrom a consideration of the following detailed deformof the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the show-' ing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changesand modifications mark no material departure" from Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Nov. 2, 1915..

In the drawings, the figure is a perspective view with parts broken away illustrating the various steps in the preparation of the floor and the application of the floor covering, it belng understood that the proportions are more or less exaggerated in the illustration.

Referring to the drawing, there is indicated a small portion of 'fiooring 1 laid directly upon joists 2, the flooring 1 being the ordinary rough flooring upon which it is customary to lay the finishing flooring. In the drawing there are also shown side walls or partitions 3, 4:, so that the illustration may be considered as showing one corner of a room or compartment.

Around the edges of the room at the partitions 3, 4 relatively narrow strips 5 are laid the strips 6over the floor 1 is metal netting 7. Upon the netting 7 there is applied cement 8 to a depth corresponding to the height of the upright webs of the strips 6 and the height of the strips 5, and when the cement hardens there is thus provided a cement base or support coextensive with the area of the floor inside of the strips 5. The

filling constitutes a floor which may be smooth and level, and has the hardness incident to cement or concrete. Of course, it will be understood that in place of the angle metal strips 6, wooden strips may be employed. i

There are other ways of preparing the floor whereby a smooth hard surface is obtained, but the one described answers excel lently for the preparation of a new floor for the final finishing in accordance with thepresent invention.

At suitable intervals strips 9 of paper are laid u on the prepared base,'these strips being re atively narrow and ofrelatively thin paper, and are so placed as to underlie the joints of the first layer to be applied. Relatively wide strips 10 of paper such as heavy Manila paper, are pasted and tacked or otherwise secured along the strips 5 at the edges of the compartment, and wherever the strips 10' meet their meeting edges may be butted as shown at 11, and there held together,these meeting edges being underlaid by the strips 9. Applied. to the layer made up of the sheets 10 are other sheets 12 similar to the sheets 10 but extending crosswise thereof. The sheets 12 are pasted to the sheets 10 so that the two layers are firmly united, and these layers are made fast to the floor at the edges only where they are secured to the strips 5 by tacks or nails which may be supplemented by paste, and by having both layers damp when applied they dry under suflicient tension to maintain them always taut, and hence flat and smooth upon the sub-base. Thetop paper layer is now covered with shellac which mav be in the form of a thick solution, and this shellac coating may then be allowed to dry, or the drying may be hastened by heat. Such a shellac coating is indicated. at 13.

Laid upon the paper covering is a veneer finishing layer 14; of wood either in the form of parquetry or in any other form desired. The showing of the drawing is that of parquetry, and each block has one face provided with a shellac coating 15 applied thereto and dried. Now with the shellac coating of the paper and that of the veneer heated unt1l softened and tacky, the veneer is caused to adherefirmly to the paper by the shellac coatings which coalesce, and by applying pressure until the shellac coating has chilled and hardened the union is made exceedingly firm with the shellac forming a coating of waterproof material between the'paper and the wood veneer. After the final coating of Wood veneer is laid, the floor is finished in any suitable manner, as by the application of any one of a number of well known floor to be sufiicient, the sub-base taking the place 7 of the ordinary finishing flooring. A mixture of cement, fine sand and flour paste may be used. The reinforcement 7 serves to strengthen the cement layer. The strips 9 may have their edges beveled by suitably tearing the strips and these beveled edges are then pasted or otherwise caused to ad here to thebasic mixture where the joints l1 willcome.

When the paper layers have dried after being laid they may be painted or oiled, thus protecting them against dampness, but whether painted or not, the shellac layer for causing the veneer to adhere to the paper will protect the latter from dampness. The softening of the shellac may be accomplished by heating the shellac coating, while still containing the solvent, by the flame of a torch to burn off the solvent, which is usually alcohol, and the veneer may be then laid in place'while the shellac is still hot and adhesive, or the veneer may be laidand by means of a hot iron placed upon the veneer the shellac is softened so that the coating on the veneer and the coating on the paper coalesce, the veneer bein held down by a weight until the shellac is finally hardened. Such a floor is readily repaired, since at any time the veneer may be taken ofi. by first and this pliable or elastic quality of the 1 floor is retained when the final coating is 'in the form of veneer. It is found that the finishing layer of varnish applied to the veneer will wear many times longer than a;

similar'coat applied to a solid hardwood fio0r. While in the foregoing description reference is made to fioors only, it is to be under stood that many of-the features of the in vention are applicable toinside and outside walls, roofs, and other surfaces, and, therefore, the term fioor orthe like is used in the claims as covering any surface to which the invention is applicable.

What is. claimed is 1. The combination, with a floorI the.

like, of a covering therefor comprising an under structure of cement, a plurality of superposed paper' layers cemented. together and connected at the edge portions to the floor or the like, and a finishing or outer layer of veneer' with a cementing layer of shellac between the veneer and the adjacent paper layer. 7 r

2. A floor or thelike comprising'a'board layer, wooden strips at the margins of the surface to becovered and there secured to the boards, angle strips of metal crossingthe area to be covered and secured to the boards in spaced relation one to the other, metal re-.

inforcement between the angle strips, a layer of cement upon the boards covering the reinforcement and lodged between the angle strips and the edge strips and of a depth to reach to the surface of the angle strips and edge strips, a plurality of united paper layers made up of strips of paper with those of one layer crossing those of the other and with the margins of the layers secured to the edge strips of the area 'to be covered, the

paper layers being under, tension and a layer of wood veneer upon the outermost layer of paper with ,a uniting cement of shellac securing the veneer to the outermost paper layer. Y L f 3. Ina floor or the like, a covering comprising a plurality oflayers each composed of paper strips laid under tensional strain with one layer cemented to the other, a layer of shellac upon the outermost layer of paper, and a layer of wood veneer upon the shellac and united to the outermost layer of paper by said shellac.

4. The combination with a floor or the like, ofa plurality of layers of paper formed of elongated paper strips with the strips of one layer united to those of the other and extending crosswise with respect to those of the other, the united layers being attached to the floor or the like at the margins and under tensional strain, and a surface coating of wood veneer with a uniting layer of shellac interposed between the wood veneer and the outermost layer of paper.

5. The method of preparing floor coverings, which consists in first securing to the floor layers of paper under tensional strain, then producing upon the paper a layer of shellac, applying wood veneer to the shellac layer, and causing the cementing of the veneer to the paper by the shellac under the action of heat and pressure.

6. The method of surfacing floors and the like, which consists in first producing upon the floor a covering composed of paper in a plurality of layers united together and to the floor, then covering the paper with a coating of shellac, providing wood veneer with one surface having a coating of shellac, laying the wood veneer with its shellac surface in engagement with that of the paper, and then causing a cementing of the wood veneer to the paper by the action of heat and pressure upon the shellac layers to soften and coalesce said layers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETTER O. N. PEDERSON.

Witnesses:

MARGARET M. Horr, OSCAR N. HALVORSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. C. 

